I wish I had done a computer science degree.
In many ways, my younger years were marked by a lack of commitment and direction. I completed a bachelors degree in the arts, and I did quite a good job at it, but I never wanted to pursue a career in that field, nor did I have any idea about what career I wanted to pursue at all.
In all honesty, I envy people who had a clear direction. But there is no point looking back on the past with regret - you live and you learn. Especially because I have been lucky enough to have the career in tech that I have had and been able to find my love of programming along the way (thanks to some people who kindly gave me a chance when I needed it the most).
But a question has been gnawing at me over the past few years - should I do a computer science degree?
It's continued to gnaw at me through my past few years working at Algolia, and was really bugging me during the interview process at a new job i'll start in the New Year - "you are missing that piece of paper that everyone else has", "your lack of qualifications are noticeable and are putting you at a disadvantage". These were the type of questions that have been rattling around my mind.
But today, on a miserable London autumn morning I have pulled my fingers out and decided that I am going to make the commitment to try and get that piece of paper.
My ultimate goal here isn't to propel my career to lofty heights or anything, or to use the degree to be some wizard founder, but for the satisfaction that I am qualified to be in the position I am in.
Georgia Tech OMSCS
Through my research about what degree to do, one qualification that has stuck out has been the Masters in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. The degree holds a lot of prestege owing to its difficulty, but remains flexible enough to complete while having a full time job.
A Masters strikes me as the most reasonable choice for someone in my position as well - it's shorter than a Bachelors, but also means I don't to start from ground zero. I already know comp sci fundamentals and have been hands on coding for nearly 10 years now. Doing a Bachelors, while appealing because it shows your commitment to learning the fundamentals, feels like overkill.
So that's my choice - an online Masters of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, but how do we get there?
Laying the groundwork
OMSCS at Georgia Tech (hereonin just OMSCS) is flexible enough that anyone with a Bachelors degree can apply, as long as they show they have spent sufficient time learning the fundamentals of comp sci.
I have already done this, but I don't have the completed coursework as evidence.
Georgia Tech spell out plainly in their preparation docs students are recommended to complete the following certificate programs:
- Introduction to Python Programming, using the same material as CS1301: Introduction to Computing at Georgia Tech.
- Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming with Java, using the same material as CS1331: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming at Georgia Tech.
- Data Structures & Algorithms, using the same material as CS1332: Data Structures & Algorithms at Georgia Tech.
This seems like too much to complete by March 2026, so instead i'm augmenting my study with some additional topics with the goal to apply for Fall 2027, giving me enough time to study and apply myself, but hopefully not burning out with a new job on the horizon.
I've documented all of this in a study plan here.
This still means that I likely won't be finishing the Masters until the ripe age of 40, which is a scary thing to say in itself.
But heyho, Let the study games begin!